as in uses
to remove parts from a machine, car, etc., to repair or build another one
He cannibalized one washing machine to fix another. Many parts of the engine were cannibalized from older cars.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cannibalizes
But if the workforce can’t scale with those policies, the policy just cannibalizes itself.
—
Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Andrew Leahey, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cannibalizes
Verb
-
The hurricane center uses only the top four or five highest-performing models to help make its forecasts.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
At the WellChild Awards in London on Monday, May 8, Harry, 40, chatted with 13-year-old Grace Tutt, a Special Recognition winner who uses a wheelchair following a bus crash.—
Erin Hill,
People.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The fabrics are part of a program where Royo sources old bed linens from Spanish hotels and recycles them in its own recycling plant.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Sep. 2025
-
What happens next will determine whether that effort produces lasting change — or simply recycles monopoly power from one tech giant to another.—
Christian Kroll,
Fortune,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Cannibalizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cannibalizes. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share